Poverty and its many faces: An analytical framework for deprivation interlinkages

How do you measure the interlinkages between deprivations in diverse dimensions of human wellbeing? This seminar proposes an analytical framework for the popular Alkire-Foster approach to multidimensional poverty measurement, which permits a more granular view on the overlap or interlinkage of deprivations. Dr Nicolai Suppa will discuss how this approach can be applied in different settings and how it can inform policymakers.

A New Axis of Upheaval? North Korea, Russia, China, and others—why we should care

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has catalysed a renewed partnership between Moscow and its Cold War client of Pyongyang. The two states have not only signed a mutual defence pact, but in addition to sending artillery and missiles to Russia, North Korea has also deployed over 11,000 troops to aid Putin’s war. At the same time, China has remained obstinate in its reluctance to comment on the burgeoning North Korea-Russia ties, despite continuing to exchange dual-use technologies with Russia.

Commodity Price Shocks and Quality of Employment in Peru

The 2000s commodities boom spurred a period of high economic growth across Latin America. In Peru, this "super cycle" was primarily driven by a surge in mining exports, which expanded by a factor of 7.5 between 2001 and 2013. This boom has been associated with poverty reduction in mining areas and with the creation of both direct and indirect employment opportunities. However, the quality of these mining-related jobs remains underexplored.

Measuring women's empowerment in low- and middle-income countries

This seminar introduces a novel, policy-relevant measure of multidimensional empowerment based on the Alkire-Foster method and using data from partnered women aged 15-49 in 45 low- and middle-income countries: the Multidimensional Women’s Empowerment Index (MWEI). The MWEI identifies a woman as empowered if she achieves sufficiency in at least six of its eight indicators, corresponding to four basic life domains in which women can exercise power: health, material environment, social relationships, and physical integrity.

Rainbow Bridges: Chinese Queer Short Films Showcase

This screening brings together three short films by emerging Chinese queer filmmakers, showcasing the rich diversity and critical reflections within contemporary Sino-queer cinema. These films illuminate the unique experiences of queer communities and the infinite possibilities of gender fluidity. They invite the audience to move beyond external scrutiny, approaching the essentials of queer experiences with empathy and discovering resonance within difference.

The world’s 2024 elections: what just happened? The rise of populism and its causes.

Over 2 billion people were eligible to vote in 2024, and in the elections that followed populist politicians did well, culminating in the re-election of President Trump in the United States. So, what actually happened, and why? In this first kick-off seminar, we’ll hear from polling experts and political scientists about what the 2024 elections told us about the state of politics across the West, some of the common cultural and economic explanations and the outlook for how more mainstream politicians might react.

Teresa Wallacher

I am an MPhil student in European Politics and Society, having joined the University of Oxford in 2024. Before coming to Oxford, I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Economics at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. My research focuses on political economy, with a particular interest in how economic structures and policies shape political outcomes. Methodologically, I employ quantitative approaches to political analysis. Under the supervision of Professor Ben Ansell, my MPhil thesis examines the political consequences of inflation.

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